KANGAROO Flat’s active recruiting campaign in the build-up to this year’s All Seasons Bendigo Football League season has continued with the club securing young ruckman Joel West.

The Roos announced the signing of the former Bendigo Pioneer and Bendigo Bombers-listed player yesterday.

West’s signing comes less than two weeks after Kangaroo Flat unveiled 14 new players who had joined the club in its bid to climb out of the BFL wilderness this year.

Kangaroo Flat coach Darryl Wilson coached West in the Bendigo Bombers reserves in 2006, before the talented big man spent last season playing for Bacchus Marsh in the Ballarat Football League.

‘‘Most clubs are after a big guy and Joel was in fairly high demand, being over 190 cm,’’ Wilson said.

‘‘We were in the market for a big bloke, and having had a previous relationship with Joel through the Bombers, we invited him to training.

‘‘He has hardly missed a training session, so we always thought we were a decent show of getting him, but he didn’t want to commit until he had sorted out his schooling, which he has done.’’

Wilson says West will play a combination of both ruck and forward for the Roos.

‘‘We think Joel will be a huge inclusion for us because I would have thought most Bendigo clubs would have rang Joel,’’ Wilson said.

‘‘For us to be able to nab him is a real positive for the club.

‘‘Having Joel means then that Nick Lang doesn’t have to be the number one ruckman at just 18 years-of-age and still with a developing body.’’

West joins other ex-Bendigo Bombers players in Tyrone Downie, Andrew Gladman, Daniel Manning and Nathan Meade at Dower Park in 2008.

With so many new inclusions to the club, Wilson acknowledges getting the side to gel will be one of his biggest challenges, but one he’s confident of overcoming.

‘‘We started training in late November, and we’re back training now after the Christmas break,’’ Wilson said.

‘‘The season doesn’t start until April 19, so that still gives us another 11 weeks to go.

‘‘Once we get what we want in terms of recruiting, we will develop our gameplan and the gelling and all those types of things will come.’’

Kangaroo Flat will open its season with an away game against Golden Square.